


A woman's place is in the Resistance

by Crackedkybercrystal



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:46:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28730679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crackedkybercrystal/pseuds/Crackedkybercrystal
Summary: Inspired by recent events, a political AU and story of good vs evil with all my favorite characters.They had turned the lights off over an hour ago and then debated whether to push the filing cabinets against the door. The fear was that if the door didn’t hold, then the blockade would act as a red flag, letting the mob know there were people inside, that there was something worth searching for. So in the end, they had decided to play possum, turn off the lights, lock the door and hide in silence under the conference table. The mob on the other side were anything but silent, smashing through the outer door then upending and destroying whatever they could get their hands on. At one point they started hammering something against the door, and the image of a battering ram on a castle gate ran through Rey’s mind. Rose was recording on her phone, they weren’t sure if it was to gather evidence or just to let others know what had happened if they didn’t make it out of here after all. But the old lock on the heavy wooden door withstood the barrage, the rioters moved on, distracted by the opportunities to snap selfies and loot souvenirs in the Representative’s private office.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 25
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

6th January, 2021

They had turned the lights off over an hour ago and then debated whether to push the filing cabinets against the door. The fear was that if the door didn’t hold, then the blockade would act as a red flag, letting the mob know there were people inside, that there was something worth searching for. So in the end, they had decided to play possum, turn off the lights, lock the door and hide in silence under the conference table. The mob on the other side were anything but silent, smashing through the outer door then upending and destroying whatever they could get their hands on. At one point they started hammering something against the door, and the image of a battering ram on a castle gate ran through Rey’s mind. Rose was recording on her phone, they weren’t sure if it was to gather evidence or just to let others know what had happened if they didn’t make it out of here after all. But the old lock on the heavy wooden door withstood the barrage, the rioters moved on, distracted by the opportunities to snap selfies and loot souvenirs in the Representative’s private office.

Almost all of the furnishings were antique, some even older than the building itself, many with a deeply personal attachment to Speaker Organa, such as her mother’s bureau, but it wasn’t just the wanton destruction that made Rey’s heart pound with rage. It was the cavalier arrogance, they weren’t protesters as far as Rey was concerned, they were zealots, Snoke’s personal cult, high on the fumes of self righteous grievance. President Snoke had wound them up with his lies in a speech delivered just hours earlier, demanding that they overturn the election results. The mob had marched on the building, ripping past the outer perimeter as if it was no more than a picket fence in a childish drawing. They had over whelmed the building’s security service that was caught out, hopelessly under prepared, swamping them with sheer numbers. This was a fired up and determined rabble, heavily armed and hunting for their prize.

An elected official for over 3 decades and the Speaker of the House, Leia Organa had been in the Chamber addressing congress when the Secret Service stepped up and told her it wasn’t safe to remain, she had to evacuate. The feisty older woman had at first refused to step down, she didn’t want the mob to think they had cowered her from fulfilling her duty to the constitution, but Poe wasn’t letting her call this decision, the Speaker’s physical safety was his sole priority. He insisted that she put on the gas hood under the seat and leave immediately. Hidden in a back room of Leia’s personal chambers, Rey and Rose were glued to the channel news coverage on their phone screens. At least the Capitol Building had excellent connectivity Rey mused, even if it had proven to be an inadequate haven in the storm unleased by President Snoke.

Late January, 2017 (4 years earlier)

It’s always cold here in January but this year seemed even more bleak. Rey was the new kid in town. She’d more than paid her dues, volunteering with the electoral campaign and caught a lucky break with a recommendation from her old law professor, Luke Skywalker. It had led to an internship on the Hill with Speaker Organa’s staff, but she’d missed the heady days of hope and optimism that had buoyed up the previous administration. Instead she had been a first hand witness to Amilyn Holdo’s failed campaign, dragged through the mud and lies by an opposition that wasn’t constrained by decency, the law, their oath to uphold the constitution, or increasingly, any shared understanding of reality itself. A faceless mocking crowd chanting ‘Lock her Up’ haunted Rey’s nightmares.

Last week over a million woman had marched here, and in sister marches in cities across the world. They’d waved signs proclaiming love over hate and their determination to resist what many feared would be a long four years. Now the sea of pink hats were just a memory, the cardboard signs were in the dustbin and Washington had reclaimed its usual dour attire without any further fuss. It was the end of her first week on the Hill and Rey was standing at the bar of the Watergate Hotel with Rose, describing the single room flat that she had just moved into, “there’s even a balcony for my cats, Beebee and Dio,” she explained, holding her arms out to express delight. They were both keeping an eye out for the cute security officer named Finn that Rose had invited to join them after work when an immaculately dressed red headed man walked up to them.

“I’m surprised you can afford a place with a balcony on an intern’s salary, isn’t a cardboard box near the underpass more traditional?” the red head interjected. Rey was taken aback. She didn’t know who this was, or how he would know she was an intern, but Rose turned with an air of calm confidence towards the intruder.

“General Hux,” Rose replied, by way of introduction to Rey, “I think scurrying from the light to eavesdrop and hiding among the refuse is something that comes more naturally to your kind.”

“And what exactly do you know of my kind Miss Tico?” the red head pressed. The tension between the two had become tangible, Rey didn’t know if she should rescue her friend by stepping between them and showing everybody a new cat video, or just slink away and let them figure it out themselves. She was saved from having to make a decision by the arrival of Finn. He’d brought along another man that Rey recognized from the office, who introduced himself as Poe, but was vague about what he did. Rey knew the type, she could spot a secret service officer a mile off and that was before she started working here.

“Hugs!” Poe enthused with a broad smile as he stepped towards them, inside the beltway really was a very small world.

Hux just sniffed by way of reply. “I see Organa has sent her hound away for the day. Did you disgrace yourself? Chew an old slipper, piss on the furniture?”

Poe bared his teeth and really did start to growl. Rey began frantically searching for the cat video again, but Finn just laughed before reaching over to scratch Poe behind one ear and call him a good boy, defusing the tension once again.

“Rey was just telling us about her new apartment,” Rose fearlessly plowed forward, and all eyes turned to Rey, who suddenly realized she would prefer an open outbreak of hostilities between any of the assembled parties, if it meant that the spotlight wasn’t on her.

“Yep,” she managed, “it’s only a 30 minute ride on my bike and the cats get their own balcony, so,” she finished off with a shrug. Rey didn’t really know what more she could add. That it felt safe and clean and she was grateful to return there at the end of a long day to cuddle with her cats and eat the wonton soup that she ordered ahead from the corner shop. They weren’t the most exciting details, but she felt more connected and optimistic about her future than she had in a long time.

When she later recalled the moment that he stepped up to their group, Rey wondered if she hadn’t tweaked the details in her imaginings. Surely a shadow hadn’t really fallen across them, like a scene from a film noir classic, and nobody else seemed aware of the silence that descended just as abruptly. He had a way of burning up all the oxygen in a room, it left her lightheaded. Of course they’d never met before, but she’d recognize that head of hair anywhere, even if he was even taller and broader then he appeared on the news. Kylo Ren, President Snoke’s personnel attorney, fixer and right hand man.

It was rumoured Ren had more influence than the white house chief of staff, that his was the number senator’s rang when they needed an audience with the president, or when they needed something or someone done discreetly. A press announcement to distract from a scandal, or a deal cut, the type that happened in backrooms and smoke filled bars, the seedy underbelly of power. Rumour had it that he was a Russian double agent, fluent in a dozen languages and a fifth dan black belt. The internet regularly speculated about his sex life, the name of Snoke’s daughter, Bazine, was often paired with his at events around the city.

“Ren”, Hux seemed genuinely surprised, “It must be a full moon out tonight if you’ve left the crypt. Rey here has two pussies”, Hux continued blandly.

Why did everybody insist on drawing her into the conversation, Rey silently fumed. She didn’t want to be brought to anyone’s attention, especially Ren’s and she certainly didn’t need a puerile double entendre flung her way. Rose opened up her mouth ready to defend her friend, but Rey knew when it was time to shoot down the bully before she became an easy target.

“Best to be cautious General Hux”, she purred, “both of my pussies bite back”.

“Ouch!” both Finn and Poe chimed in.

A scowl had settled across Ren’s face, he didn’t join in the group’s teasing banter, even when Hux appealed to him directly for support, claiming he was being ganged up on by ‘radical socialists’, but strangely, he didn’t leave either. The friends didn’t linger too long, everybody had obligations the next day even though it was Saturday, and Rey had to get back to Beebee and Dio. The group finished up their last round before heading out into the cold evening air. After bundling up and admiring Poe’s new scarf, saying last good byes and promising Rose she’d try out that new dating app soon, Rey walked over to the stand to unlock her bicycle. At first she didn’t notice that he’d followed her, so she was startled when she turned around ready to mount her bike and Ren was standing silently before her. “Oh", she gasped, "did you forget something?” It didn’t make any sense, but Rey didn’t know what else to say and he was standing in her path blocking the way forward.

“Do you ride around at night often?” He inquired.

“Yes”, Rey shot back, “It’s the best way to get around in this city.”

By now Rey had her feet on the pegs ready to go, Ren stepped aside without anything further to add and Rey shot past him into the evening.

When Rey returned from the laundromat the next day, she stopped off at the wall of mail boxes to clear out the junk that had accumulated in there. After only a week in the new place, nothing was addressed to her yet, but she was still getting a lot of letters to the previous occupants, along with the usual barrage of pizza menus and miscellaneous junk. Only here was a parcel, just small enough to slip through the gap in her box and with her name written on it, although no address, it had obviously been hand delivered. Opening it as she stepped through her doorway, she found a set of bicycle lights and a note, written in the same beautiful script as her name. It read simply, ‘To guide your way through the darkness’.


	2. Chapter 2

6th January, 2021

Rose and Rey were shocked to recognize Finn as the officer in the footage playing across their phone screens. They were following the news coverage using ear buds to remain silently hidden from anybody outside the room, but neither of them could refrain from gasping audibly, even through their face masks. The story was soon pieced together with the accompanying footage. Finn could clearly be seen standing in the corridor that led directly to the Chamber of The House of Representatives. Both of the woman noticed him glance over his shoulder and realize that the doors to the Chamber hadn’t been secured. It’s the briefest of movements, but it feels like time is frozen and Rey knows she will never forget that exact moment. The thugs are only yards away from the inner sanctum, it’s open and exposed and Finn has nothing to hold them back except a woefully inadequate baton and his wits.

Finn shoves one of the brutes aside, before turning to run away from the Chamber. The thugs take the bait and start running Finn down, he leads them on a merry chase, away from the unlocked doors, and up a set of stairs. It’s some time before more footage is released, it shows Finn arriving on a stairway landing only one step before the mob. He turns to face them with his baton drawn. A moment later the mob have run him down, the footage ends. The woman are both silent. They can’t believe what they’ve just witnessed, Rose has tears in her eyes, Rey just feels numb.

Their friend Kaydel texted them a few minutes earlier, she’s holed away with the representative from the 5th district of Minnesota in one of the underground bunkers. They’ve already started writing out articles of impeachment to hold the President accountable, terms including ‘incitement of insurrection’ ‘sedition’ and ‘unfit to hold office’ were repeated. Rey’s torn between admiring how they’ve channeled their outrage, using the time efficiently, and the overwhelming urge to scream out loud. A second impeachment would be historic, but what good will it do? Snoke’s got a strangle hold over the senate and his supporters will wear it as a badge of honor. The image of the mob running down Finn plays back through her mind and she feels physically sick.

January 2018 (3 years earlier)

Leia Organa had a reputation for hosting the most kick ass parties inside the beltway. All the usual Washington insiders were in attendance, the patriarchs, the grand old dames and the up and coming generation, a roll call of influential names and trust funds. This was the sort of A list event that the lobbyist bent over backwards to get into. Over the past year, Rey had grown into her job, she felt confident and poised in her official role, helping to draft bills that the Speaker presented in the Chamber. But networking at an event like this, ‘hobnobbing’ as Finn would say, this was a skill that she struggled with.

Rose had helped her to choose an outfit, convincing Rey to wear a cream coloured dress with a plunging neckline that made the most of her meager asserts. You look amazing, Rose had reassured her, but right now Rey just felt like a fraud. Everybody here seemed to know each other from birth, they probably shared the same monogrammed diaper service, Rey had grumbled. It was an insider's clique with its own rules of engagement, Rey was hopelessly out of her league. When she’d attended the occasional party during her college years, her strategy had been to head for the kitchen and find something useful to do, like helping to hand around a tray of snacks. But that wasn’t an option at a professionally catered event, the servers were polite but definitely wanted her out of their way.

Scanning the room, Rey couldn’t see Rose, but noticed Kaydel talking to a tall woman, instantly recognizable as Gwen Phasma, the out going White House press secretary. Phasma’s notoriety had peaked earlier in the administration when she had repeated and amplified President Snoke’s lies about the size of his inauguration crowd, claiming it was the largest ever but deliberately under-estimated by the press. It was such an easily disprovable and petty falsehood, it’s not as if photos didn’t exist, but it was just the beginning for what would become a bumpy relationship with the press corps. At the time Rey had been shocked, but it was difficult for her to feel sympathetic. Phasma knew what she was doing and had made her own choices. Kaydel spied Rey hanging back at the edge of the room and gestured her over to join them. Rey stepped up to the pair and smiled.

Kaydel managed the introductions quickly, before moving on to the news at hand. Phasma was in talks with the producers of Dancing With The Stars, they wanted her on as a contestant in the upcoming season, filming was set to start next month. Kaydel carried the conversation, discussing the costumes and celebrities on the show with ease. Rey just stood there nodding when it seemed expected.

Of course Rey had questions, they just weren’t the type she could ask.

Chiefly, Rey wanted to understand how a society came to this point. Would Goebbels have gone on reality tv to reassure the world that his skill set extended beyond propaganda, showcasing what a great guy he really was? After all the main talking points had been covered, Phasma excused herself and stepped away, continuing to work the crowd effortlessly. “Oh, I think I just caught a glimpse of a Bush twin,” Kaydel gushed before she also stepped away. Rey looked down at her still half full glass before deciding that she really couldn’t just stand there alone any longer, and wondered off to find a dark corner where if she was lucky, nobody would notice her.

As plans go, this one seemed a winner to Rey. The house was large but older, with lots of twisting corridors, smaller rooms and nooks that mostly seemed to serve as various libraries. It didn’t take long to find the perfect spot, a comfortable looking sofa arranged in front of a fire place. The lights were dimmed, but the warmth drew Rey forwards, she was distracted watching the flames dancing about so that she didn’t even notice the body that was already in prime position on the couch until she started to sit.

“I’m so sorry,” she gasped as she tried to regain her footing, but it was too late, she’d already committed to the seated position and the laws of gravity weren’t cutting her any breaks. She found herself sitting on a lap at the same time that she twisted around and realized exactly whose lap it was, Kylo Ren. She could feel the heat radiating from him.

Since they first met a year ago, Rey had seen Kylo a dozen or so times at various places. Somehow he always managed to surprise her, although sitting on him was a first even for her. Rey had grown accustomed to his intensity, she knew he tended to say even less than her, but she noticed that in their most recent meetings, he seemed even more somber. If anybody had asked her why she thought that, she couldn’t have answered with anything sensible or objective. He had dark rings under his eyes as if he hadn’t been sleeping well, but there was every likelihood that she was just projecting her own desires. The truth was that she wanted him to have a tortured soul beneath his facade as a Washington power broker. In the cold light of day, the facts painted a picture of Ren no different to Phasma, and Rey certainly hadn’t felt any sympathy for her.

But what about that gift? Rey had been uncertain about how to interpret receiving the lights which were still on her bike and used almost daily. He hadn’t mentioned it again to her even when she left a text message to thank him, and she had eventually decided that he was just genuinely concerned about road safety and left it at that. Inside the beltway was a small world, so many of their mutual friends seemed to either be fucking or suing each other, often times both.

By now she had managed to regain her footing, but his hands had followed hers and he still held her as he tried to make himself as small as possible at one end of the couch. “Please,” he said, “stay”.

“I don’t want to disturb you,” she hesitated.

“You won’t,” he smiled back.

She noted to herself that engaging the smile was definitely an underhand tactic, and bound to be expressly forbidden in a convention cosigned by the UN on the rules of warfare somewhere, but she was only human.

“I didn’t know that you came to Leia’s parties,” Rey began.

“I don’t normally,” he agreed.

“Can I ask you something,” she pressed.

“Anything”

“Why did you send me the bike lights?”

He frowned at her as if he didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Only I asked Rose, who asked Hux, and he said it was definitely your hand writing. I sent you a text last year to say thanks, but you never replied.”

Ren paused before explaining,“I guess I was just worried about you”. It didn’t seem adequate to either of them, but he didn’t have anything else to add.

“Well, thanks...” she trailed off, staring at his lips. Somehow, they were a lot closer together on the couch now. Rey didn’t know what possessed her, but she found herself reaching out and pushing his hair back as it fell down in front of his face. Kylo sat perfectly still, like a wild animal uncertain whether to flee or come closer. And then they both came closer, a lot closer. They kissed, at first the lightest brush of his lips against hers, and then deeper, as if he couldn’t possibly get enough, as if she needed him more than she even knew possible. He’d turned her around now and was pressing her into the backrest of the sofa, her hands were cradling his head, she could feel how soft his hair was, he smelt like something fresh and delicious, she wanted to swallow him whole.

Rey had no idea when Luke walked in, she only knew that suddenly Ren was pulling away from her, and that’s when she saw her old law professor. She was flushed and speechless, but the look on Luke’s face wasn’t hard to read. He was clearly shocked and unhappy to find his past student in such a compromising situation. Before she could form so much as a single word, Ren lept up and stormed out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

7th November, 2020

Hux has his attention split between the Philadelphia traffic and his phone. He’d called Ren not because, god forbid, Ren was involved with this particular shit-show, but because he was the only one Hux could think of at the moment who might have any idea about what the hell was going on. Why was the Present’s legal team holding a press conference somewhere in the outer boondocks of Philly? He’s taken the exit ramp now but he’s still searching for the address. He sees a crematorium and an adult book shop, and there, sandwiched between them is a carpark. The surface is rough and there are a few pot holes, Hux was careful not to damage his car as he pulled in to get his bearings, just as Ren comes on the line.

“You haven’t read today’s Tweet from Captain Chaos?” Ren asks.

Hux’s anxiety level spiked. What had he missed? He knew not checking his phone after he got off the flight had been a mistake, but he’d been running on adrenaline and caffeine for weeks now and the cracks were starting to show. Then there were the usual distractions involved with picking up a car and figuring out where he had to get to. He’d just needed a few solid hours without a new crisis.

“It’s four seasons TOTAL LANDSCAPING”, Ren enunciated the last two words with painful clarity.

Hux looks around and noticed that the handful of cars already in the lot were mostly rentals like his, and then he sees some poor shmuck intern taping campaign signage to a roller-door on the side of the building.

“Okay”, Hux’s voice is flat, “I think I’ve got it”. He hangs up the line without waiting for a reply. He needs a moment to gather himself, because he knows now without any doubt that this is the graveyard of his career.

September, 2019

Sometimes they go to his place, other times he turns up unannounced on her doorstep. The cats are both traitorous for affection and roll over submissively for belly scratches. Sometimes they just sit on a park bench to watch the tourists and enjoy being outdoors before the cooler weather arrives. They usually spend Saturday morning jogging together along the Potomac. Sometimes they get a meal together, she’s taken him to her 27 favourite places to get something delicious to eat, he smiles to himself when the staff always know and love her. She’s borrowed a few of his history books, he’s gently mocked her tastes in music, she kicks his ass on Wolfenstein.

The one rule they have, that they never break, is that they never, ever talk about the office or what’s going on in the political world. They’ve both known friends who got burnt with romances across the aisle, real people who just couldn’t make it work no matter how they felt about each other, kids with divided loyalties or worse, no loyalties at all. Hux and Rose were just the latest example, neither of them could keep up with that tempestuous affair.

This particular Saturday morning started out the way Rey most enjoyed, naked together under the sheets. Sex with Ren had been a revelation for Rey. There had been years when she’d just been too busy to bother about initiating an intimate relationship, it had always felt like it wasn’t worth the effort, to the extent that she had questioned if there was something wrong with her. There was a time when she would have described herself as practical rather than passionate. But here she was, caught out in a deluge, an overwhelming storm of desire. It felt as natural as breathing. He made her feel like a goddess, he couldn’t keep his eyes or his hands, or his mouth off her, she never wanted to leave the bed afterwards. The walls at her place weren’t as thick or as soundproof as those at Ren’s more upmarket apartment block, so at first she’d bitten her pillow to stifle her screaming, but Ren was having none of that. “I want to hear you say my name,” he’d demand, as he pushed up into her, hard and fast. “Tell me who’s the only one that can make you feel like this Rey.”

“You are”, she’d gasped, but she knew that wouldn’t satisfy him, he was insatiable. Now she just avoided meeting the eyes of her neighbours if they passed in the corridor.

It was their usual routine to go running along the river, but Rey could hear the rain beating against the window. Ren had already gotten up to brew coffee if Rey’s nose was to be believed, so she rolled over to look at her phone. Rose had sent her a link to a video which she opened without further thought. It was the latest add from the Lincoln Project, a political action group founded by the ‘Never Snokers’, those conservatives who broke with their party and were campaigning against Snoke in the upcoming election.

The add opened with a still shot of Ren walking along, outside the capitol building if Rey was any judge, wearing his trademark perfectly tailored suit and dark tie. They’d placed a black bar over his eyes, but it was obvious who it was, the bar just suggested an unspecified air of criminality. The voice over hit her next, the words ‘disgrace’ and ‘traitor to the constitution’ were used. At that point, the footage flashed to a shot of the actual constitution before moving along to play a sound recording of Snoke ‘reassuring’ the press that his phone call with the Ukrainian president was “perfect”. Rey looked up, stricken, and there was Ren, standing in the doorway. Without a shirt on, he looked like something come to life from the cover of a cheesy romance novel, but right now, Rey was too scared to notice. The add was replaying in her mind. Ren crossed the room towards her, but Rey held out her arm, gesturing him to stop. He froze in place and she held up her phone, pressing play to show him the 30 second video.

“Where you on that call?" she asked. It’s breaking their rule, but she had to know.

“Yes”

“I think you need to leave now,” she heard herself say.

It only took him a moment to gather up his clothes before she heard the door close behind him. Rey wasn’t sure what she thought would happen. That he’d deny it, say the Lincoln Project didn’t have the full story, or that he hadn’t broken any laws. She thought he’d fight to stay, fight for her. But all he’d done was slink out of the room faster than she had thought possible. He'd abandoned her. That’s when she started to cry.

Rey hadn’t eaten, she hadn’t even left her bed, she’d just laid there listening to the rain until it had started to get dark. The cats had done their best to comfort and distract her, but in the end they’d just curled up against her as she lay under the covers. There was a knocking on the door that she ignored for as long as she could, but whoever it was, they weren’t going away. Rey finally gave up and opened her door ready to tell whoever it was to please leave. She discovered Finn and Rose both standing there, wet from the rain, Rose held a carton of wonton soup. Both stepped inside before Rey could do anything about it.

They sat on the couch that was too small for all three of them, so Finn perched on the arm, Rey still had a blanket draped over her shoulders. They made her eat, even though she couldn’t taste anything and wanted to throw up. Afterwards, they showed her the worst of it, the tweet from the president himself, it read:

“Organa staffer Ray baits honeypot trap. National Security Breach. DOJ must investigate”

Rey knew it was genuine because he’d misspelled her name.

Like a lot of Snoke’s tweets, it didn’t make a huge amount of sense. If she hadn’t already felt so devastated she might not have recognized herself as the target, but Snoke was notorious for blowing up a story to distract from his scandals. Over time, Rey had observed that the fewer the facts were around anything, the juicier the conspiracy theory could grow. Would the Department of Justice really contact her? What was there to investigate? It wasn’t as if she’d ever hidden her relationship with Ren, nor had he ever told her a single detail related to his work, at least until today. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong, but somehow it all felt tainted, she remembered the look on Luke’s face that time when he’d walked in to find them kissing at Leia’s house. And then there was the timing of everything. The tweet had been sent out around midday. Did Ren himself have anything to do with it? Rey didn’t want to believe it, but then she thought, she didn’t know what to believe.

By Sunday, the internet trolls had done their worst, doxxing her personal details and revealing her address, phone and social security numbers. All of her online communications were choked up with death threats, she even saw one with a telescopic site superimposed over a photo of her cats. Leia had sent over a new phone and strict instructions for Rey to move in with Rose until she could make more permanent arrangements. She asked Rey if she needed to take some time off, but Rey was adamant that she wanted to return on Monday. The alternative, just waiting around and letting her imagination get the better of her, felt like torture.

On Monday morning Poe himself was waiting with a government car in front of the apartment block Rey now shared with Rose. It didn’t take long to get into the capital building at all, but Rey still felt in a daze, she wondered when she’d ever have the chance to ride her bike again. Poe asked her how she was holding up under the pressure. If she was truthful, the most painful part by far was missing Ren. She’d even thought that he might have tried to contact her after the president’s tweet, but so far he had just disappeared into thin air. Poe warned her that some crazy could still try to assault her in person, and that she had to take precautions. He asked her if she carried a gun. She did not.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No sexy times yet for our two love birds, but it's coming soon I promise.

6th January, 2020

Rey and Rose had been hiding under the table in the back room of Speaker Organa’s office for the past hour, but it had been at least 20 minutes since they’d heard any sound coming from the other side of the door. Rey whispered to Rose that it might be a good time to open the door and see if they could get to safety. The situation was unclear, but Rey wanted to take back control. They silently unlocked the door and crept across the outer room, past the wreckage of broken glass and overturned cabinets. The corridor beyond was eerily silent, they started to walk towards the nearest exit.

They were near the stairs that led to the ground floor when Rey heard boots approaching up ahead and dragged Rose behind a niche to hide from whoever was approaching. Three men came up the stairwell and started walking towards them. One was distracted, holding his phone up on a selfie stick and from the sound of it, live streaming events, providing a commentary for his audience. The second was wearing a 6MWE t-shirt and carrying a large confederate flag on a pole that rested on his shoulder. The third was dressed in full paramilitary gear, Rey’s eyes were riveted to the bunch of plastic ties in his hand, the type used to cuff people.

The man providing the ongoing commentary helpfully let everybody know that they were hunting for the Vice President and the Speaker, “For the first time in my life, our voice is being heard,” he stated, “It’s only a matter of time, justice is coming.”

Late 2019

The warm weather stretched out a little longer this year, kids were still running about on the National Mall in shorts and t-shirts in the dying days of September, but by October 1st , the spell had broken. Snoke fired Ren via Twitter, 33 characters that read “His services are no longer needed”. When the press shouted out questions to the President as he left Marine 1, Snoke said he hardly knew him at all.

The Washington Post ran an opinion piece with the catchy title ‘Snoke’s Henchmen Always End Up In The Shark Tank’, it showed a photo of Ren standing on the tarmac in front of Air Force 1. He's flanked by the Pentagon Joint Chief of Staff and the former head of the CIA.

Meanwhile, the formal impeachment inquiries began in earnest. Ren was scheduled to attend a deposition, testifying before Congress about what was said on the infamous phone call, but he surprised everyone on both the left and the right of politics when he refused to appear.

It was the week of Halloween, and somehow, Rose had convinced everyone to dress as a character from Scooby Doo. Poe was an obvious choice for Fred, with a bright orange neck kerchief that he actually managed to make look good. Finn was a very fetching Daphne, Rose had stuffed her bra under a sweater to transform into Velma and Rey had bagged what she considered to be the prime role of Scooby.

Rey hadn’t been feeling very festive, like everybody else, she’d been putting in long hours prepping with the senate staff and the House Intelligence Committee for the hearings. The only advantage of returning late from the office each night and falling into bed exhausted was that she hadn’t the energy to think about Ren. At least that’s what she told herself.

Like everybody else, she’d been following events obsessively through the media. After Ren had been publicly fired, Rey was more tempted than ever to contact him, but something had made her hold back. She worried he’d think she was gloating, that she had a screwed up sense of schadenfreude. On the contrary, she knew how it felt to be adrift in the world, alone. But then she remembered that Ren hadn’t reached out to her when everything had fallen apart, and she knew she couldn’t survive more rejection.

There was one night when her new phone rang, the screen showed a private number. Against all advice to the contrary Rey had answered, with her heart in her throat, but whoever it was hadn’t spoken and the call had ended a moment later. A part of her was still waiting for him to walk through the door, admit he’d been in the wrong, beg her forgiveness, then ask her if she wanted to get something to eat, or maybe they'd just head straight to the nearest bed. Another part of her felt like a loser for wanting it so badly.

The White House had hosted the traditional Halloween event the previous weekend. Snoke could be seen in the news coverage, handing out candy to kids, resplendent in a gold lame robe. Rey couldn’t make out what the costume was supposed to be.

Tonight, Rose had invited all of their friends over to the apartment for a party. There was a Halloween playlist blasting, and some type of lurid green drink with an eyeball garnish. Rose and Hux had called a truce in their personal lives, so the red head made an appearance.

"What are you wearing?" Rose peered over her costume glasses at Hux.

"It's my Fred costume", he explained, fiddling with the neck kerchief that was tied in a crisp knot around a blue shirt collar, "as per your instructions".

It was obvious that some lines of communication had gotten scrambled. Kaydel decided that the only fair solution was a dance off between the competing Freds. Poe and Hux each declared themselves the clear winner and only true Fred, Rey laughed until her face hurt.

In the days before Thanksgiving, the halls of The Capitol building were typically deserted, a lot of the staffers taking leave and flying out early to be with family. It was a time of the year that had always been difficult for Rey, she tended to spend the day alone with her two cats, watching the Macy’s parade and eating ice-cream straight from the carton. But this year, only a week before the national holiday, the halls were buzzing with activity.

Ahsoka Tano was the Security Council’s director for Europe and Russia. She had already appeared privately before the Congressional committee, but her further testimony today would be public. Everybody in the building, and across much of the world, tuned in as she spoke in a calm, clear and insightful voice.

The dark picture Ahsoka painted of the Snoke administration didn’t surprise anybody. Ukraine was the front line of a war against Russia under Sheev Palpatine, a man whose tentacles of influence were far reaching. Snoke would invariably kowtow before Palpatine, leading many to speculate that the president of the United States was compromised, the Russians had something over him.

Listening to Ahsoka’s testimony, Rey found it deeply satisfying to finally hear somebody who was in the room, speaking the unvarnished truth. Snoke had pressured the Ukrainian President by threatening to cut off desperately needed aid. But that was not the most surprising revelation.

Ahsoka outlined Ren’s strong opposition to the call. He had wanted nothing to do with the efforts to pressure the Ukrainians, describing it as the worst type of cooked up drug deal. Furthermore, Ren had warned Ahsoka that she was in real physical peril. Acting on his advice, the director had left Kiev on short notice and returned stateside.

Later that day, just as Rey was finishing up work, Leia walked up to her desk. “I know this is terribly short notice,” she began, “but do you have any plans for this evening? We're going to work overtime outside the office. Can you make it?”

Rey didn’t hesitate, “Of course,” she replied. Before she could find out any more details, Leia told her she’d send a car to pick her up at 9 and left. Rey scrambled to get back to the apartment and changed in time before the car arrived.

Walking into Leia’s house, Rey couldn’t help thinking back to the last time she was here, the first time she had kissed Ren. When she stepped into the lounge and saw not only Ahsoka Tano and the Vice President, Lor San Tekka, but also Kylo Ren, she pulled up short.

“Rey, I’m so glad you could make it,” Leia greeted her. “I’m sure you recognize Ahsoka and Lor, and my brother tells me you already know my son.” If Rey hadn’t been so shocked to discover Ren was Leia’s son, she might have noticed the mirth in the older woman’s eye, suggesting Luke had been more than forthcoming on the subject. “I’d offer you a real drink, but Lor won’t allow any to be served without his wife in the room,” Leia rolled her eyes theatrically. “I know it’s late, so I’ll get you up to speed on what we’re discussing. Article 25.”

After a sharp intake of breath, Rey asked, “But the impeachment?”

“We’re realists here Rey, we don’t expect a conviction in the senate, Lor here is convinced the effort will embolden Snoke rather than constrain him. Anybody that's been paying attention can see that we're on the brink of a very dangerous situation. Snoke has replaced the top brass at the pentagon with his supporters.”

This much was widely known and covered in the press. Rey just nodded.

"The president has requested options for a pre-emptive air strike against the Iranians, but we think that’s just a distraction. I’m not one of those nuts who think Snoke is playing a game of 3 dimensional chess, I think we all agree that he’s not that smart. But he does have a genius for throwing around mud and seeing what will stick, and I have no doubt he’d burn the country to the ground if it suited him. I’ve spoken to the Pentagon about securing the nuclear codes, but there's not a lot that can be done on that score." There was a cold grip of fear in Rey's gut at Leia's frank admission. 

"Snoke’s been openly talking to supporters about suspending civil authority and invoking the Insurrection Act". The older woman continued. "Everybody in this room thinks he may be acting on Palpatine’s orders. We’re here to make sure there's a plan for whatever happens, and that includes being ready to declare Article 25. We might not get much notice when the time comes, so we need to be primed for any nightmare scenario."

They spent the evening combing through the statutes and legal memoranda that allowed for the Vice President to declare the President unable to discharge his duties. It was a dour exercise in pulling up long volumes of constitutional law until early the next morning. 

"There's so much more work that will need to be done," Leia sighed, rubbing her eye sockets with the palm of her hands. "We're investigating pressure points in the legal system that we're sure Snoke will exploit. We're coordinating closely with our allies, we're even setting up de-escalation training because Snoke will use any missteps not just against us, but against the whole democratic process."

It didn't escape Rey's notice when Ren placed a ham sandwich and some cookies next to her. San Tekka had left hours earlier, but at dawn, Leia insisted that Rey go home and sleep, before ordering a car. Ren stepped outside the room and waited with Rey as she pulled on her coat to wait.

“So, Leia’s your mother?” she finally had the opportunity to ask. In the light of everything they’d discussed tonight, it was ridiculous that this was the revelation that had most shocked her.

“I thought you knew,” Ren replied.

Rey shook her head, “No. I guess that means Luke Skywalker is your uncle.”

“I’m afraid it does,” he grimly concurred. “Rey,” he started.

“Why did you let me think that you were a Snoke loyalist, that you were in on the deal?” She asked before he could continue.

“It was complicated,” he insisted. “I had given my word to people that I wouldn’t blow the whistle, I’d made deals that I’m not proud of, I didn’t want to compromise you. I was intending to talk to you about it all, but then Snoke sent that tweet. I spent the rest of that day trying to undo the damage, but I couldn’t get that orange piece of shit to change the message.” He looked down and kicked his foot with frustration into the ground as he spoke.

“I thought you might have asked him to send it,” Rey admitted.

“Rey,” Ren was staring straight at her now. I would never do anything to hurt you. I……” he left the sentence hanging.

Rey’s phone buzzed, she knew it meant the driver had pulled up and was waiting for her.

“Why didn’t you testify and clear your name?”

“I asked him not to.” Leia interrupted them from the inner doorway. “ It was a political gambit to lean on the senate, I thought there was a chance we could get the 4 senators we needed to cross the floor and secure testimony. Ben was my bait, but it didn’t work, nothing could induce them to grow a spine. I can see you two have a lot to talk about, but it’s late.” The dawn light had started to shine through the windows, underscoring Leia’s point, “or rather, it’s early. We all need to sleep. I don’t expect to see you in the office until tomorrow Rey.” With that she turned and walked back into the house.

Rey shouldered her bag and stepped through the door to the waiting car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 6MWE stands for '6 million wasn't enough' and is used by neo Nazi groups to call for another holocaust.


	5. Chapter 5

January 6th 2021

The three men were part of the mob, the thousands of angry Snoke supporters who had broken through the perimeter fencing before smashing windows, pushing past doors and swarming through the rotunda and down the corridors into the capitol building.

Rey was in shock, it seemed impossible that this was actually happening. The morning had started like any other for her, she had woken to the alarm and rolled out of bed. She’d fed the cats and cut some fruit up to eat with her yoghurt, before stepping into the shower. After dressing she’d taken a few minutes to read the news headlines. She knew that protesters were planning to rally today, that the President and his inner circle would address the crowd. But spending her day locked inside the Capitol building, Rey honestly didn’t expect that she’d see much unless she took time out to watch the news. It felt like she’d been transported to an alternative universe, one in which she found herself unwillingly playing a starring role in the news coverage.

Rey and Rose were hidden behind a decorative support that jutted out from the wall, forming a small niche.

It was the man carrying the zip ties that saw them first, he was a few steps ahead of the other two and turned quickly to confront the two women as he passed the pillar.

“What do we have here, two rats fleeing a sinking ship,” he leered, stepping up to them so that they were cornered. Both of the women still wore their government IDs on lanyards dangling in plain sight around their necks. He reached out and yanked Rey’s off its clip before she could react. Then he turned around to his two companions, holding it out so that the one filming events on his phone could get a clear shot. “We’ve come to stop the steal. To take back our country.”

The man was both jubilant and intent on proselytizing. So many hours of frustration and anger had finally led to this moment of vindication. At last, everybody could see the truth, he was a patriot willing to sacrifice in a war against the Satan worshipers and pedophiles. 

“We‘re just office workers here,” Rose tried to bring the tensions down, “we need to leave.” Both women started to step around the group, but none of the men made way or moved back at all.

“I don’t think so,” the man with the 6MWE t-shirt replied. The zip tie guy reached out to grab her but Rey pushed him back forcibly.

“Get back,” her voice was flat and authoritative.

“We’re placing you under citizen’s arrest,” he informed them, glancing back to look at the phone camera.

When he reached out to grab her wrists again, Rey, fueled by adrenaline, punched him as hard as she could in the face. She would have taken a moment to appreciate the satisfying crack of his nose breaking under other circumstances. Now he did step back, shocked at having finally encountered resistance. But the other two men only grew incensed, apparently furious that a woman wearing an office appropriate skirt and sensible shoes had the audacity to hit back.

“That’s what happens when these sluts think they’re in charge,” one of them muttered. The man with the 6MWE t-shirt swung the flag pole like a club and smashed Rose with force in the side of the head. All three of them moved in now and grabbed hold of the women. Rey was determined that she wouldn’t go down without a struggle, but she could see that Rose was in a bad way, blood freely flowing from the wound on the side of her head. It didn’t take long for them both to be overpowered and have their wrists bound with the zip ties. Rey wasn’t sure whose blood was smeared down the front of her shirt, but she wore it as a badge of pride.

“We’re going to hold them for trial,” the man with the selfie stick let his audience know, followed by a chilling reassurance. “We’ll only execute anyone who is guilty.” The men dragged both Rey and Rose back down the corridor and into the office that both the women had left just minutes earlier.

Zip tie guy had been talking into his phone, letting others know where they were. An older woman wearing a bulletproof vest over her shirt soon walked past the door that stood at an angle, torn off its hinges and into the wrecked office. She carried with her a metal poker, the type used to stir a fire. Rey wasn’t sure if she’d found it on her way in, or brought it from home especially for the occasion.

“Mom,” the zip tie guy acknowledged as she stepped in. “We found these two trying to sneak out. If we can’t get that bitch Organa, we’ll show the world what happens when justice catches up to the libtards who work for her.”

“I’m proud of you son,” the woman replied before glancing over at Rey and Rose. “The Proud Boys have planted pipe bombs,” she continued, “this building will burn to the ground before the night ends.” Rose had lost consciousness and lay slumped on the floor next to Rey. The woman stepped up to Rey. “We don’t want to hurt you or your slanty eyed friend. Admit your crimes and tell the world the truth, that Organa and the rest of the socialist pedophile ring stole the vote. Snoke will reward those who are loyal. You’re either with us or you’re one of them, in league with the devil.”

Rey spat in her face.

She just laughed and turned back to her son. “Let's start the trial. Is that thing running.” She looked up at the phone still positioned to catch the action.

“I never turn it off,” the man who had held the phone aloft reassured her.

Rey looked directly at the camera. “My friend Rose Tico is injured. She needs urgent medical assistance,” she stated clearly.

Muffled through the thick stone walls of the building, Rey heard a gunshot and distant screams. A moment later, like an apparition of the devil himself, Ren walked into the room. “Are you with the Proud Boys?” ‘Mother’ queried uncertainly.

“No,” he replied before striding over to Rey. Authority rolled off Ren like a fog, but without clarification or identification of any kind, there was confusion in the room about who exactly this was. Ren used the seconds to slip a pair of nail clippers of all things out of his pocket and clip the plastic binding Rey’s hands together.

“What are you doing!” Mother cried out. “We’re holding them for trial. Who are you?”

By now, Rey and Ren stood back to back.

“I’m Ben Solo,” he informed her. “This is my mother’s office, and these two woman are federal employees and the Speaker’s personal staff. Who the hell are you?”

That’s about all they had time to say before the melee started. The three men came at them at once, wielding makeshift weapons, the flag pole, a fire extinguisher and a chair leg. But Rey felt strangely calm, fighting with Ben at her back. First she grabbed a plastic tray that was within reach and used it as a shield against the blows raining down from Mother’s poker. Ren grabbed the fire extinguisher off ‘selfie-stick guy’ and shoved it at Rey to take as her weapon, then he caught the chair leg as it descended and twisted it deftly from the hand of zip tie guy, kicking out and catching him viciously in the knee.

“I see you’ve already met Rey,” he grinned at the man, indicating his swollen and bloody nose. Ben ducked under the sweeping incoming blow from the flagpole and stretched out to hit the man solidly on the torso with the chair leg, but one of Mother’s blows had glanced off Rey’s shield at an unexpected angle and tore a ragged strip down one side of his face, just missing his eye. Barely reacting to the nasty gash, Ben stepped forward and grappled the pole straight from the hands of the 6MWE guy. Ben ripped the flag off in one motion and swung the staff around in a blur of action. Rey thought it looked like a flaming sword.

“You’ve got minutes at most to get out of here before the tactical response team show up, I suggest you use them!” Ben shouted at the group who were now standing back, weary of launching another assault. The selfie stick guy was the first to turn and leave, followed closely by the guy in the 6MWE t-shirt. But Mother stood her ground, her son close by. “You don’t scare us,” she yelled back. “Everyone will see the corruption we’ve exposed, the truth will come out!”

As Mother’s shrill scream filled the air, Rey was blinded by a beam of intense light shining directly at her face. “Hands on your heads! Get on your knees!” the tactical response officers shouted at everyone in the room over the barrel of their riffles.

January 20th 2021, Inauguration Ceremony

It was only two weeks since the mob had overrun the building. Rey had watched the ceremony with the rest of Speaker Organa’s staff via a combination of the network coverage on tv screens that were set up everywhere and peeking through the windows where she could see the surrounding crowd, if not the actual stage in front of the Capitol Building. Watching Finn in his newly promoted position as House Sergeant of Arms escorting the Vice President up to take her oath was a definite highlight. But now she was back at home, watching the evenings entertainment with Ben.

Over a year ago, Ben had left Snoke’s circle and become a notable and outspoken critic, railing against the corrupt and incompetent administration, joining other never Snokers at the Lincoln Project. It suited him to work with other ex high ranking conservatives. People he considered to be of principle, who had placed country over party. Rey had to admit that they had a dark genius for messaging. She’d seen a sneak preview of a forthcoming ad aimed directly at some of the Snoke supporting senators that were still in power. It was a powerful blow against them, she only hoped that it succeeded. The polls were showing that a majority of conservative voters believed the big lie and still supported Snoke.

Yesterday morning Ben Solo, as he was now officially known, had done the media rounds. He was interviewed widely about receiving an invitation, presumably by mistake but certainly as part of a mass email, from staff desperately trying to rustle up a crowd to Snoke’s send off. The sore loser and petulant whining cheat had refused to take part in the peaceful hand over ceremony, leaving his role to be filled by his Vice president San Tekka. Instead, Snoke snubbed tradition and tried to upstage events with his own ceremony at the nearby airforce base. In Rey’s opinion, it had looked pathetic and weak. A pitiful end to the worst Presidency in US history.

The fireworks had just faded back into the dark sky and Rey leaned back against Ben’s broad chest. “I know we still have challenges ahead, but it feels like a new dawn,” she told him.

He’d stretched his arm around her shoulder, but somehow his hand had found its way through the gap between buttons on her blouse and was gently cupping and stroking her breast. “Come here my love,” he said. Rey shivered from the combination of his deep voice and his hand beginning to tease her nipple.

His lips found hers, she was enthralled, helpless to resist.

After Rey had spoken with Ben at Leia’s house, just over a year ago, he had turned up unannounced the very next day on her doorstep again. It had felt so right to be together, to be fighting the good fight, making good trouble, united on the side of justice and progress, the good guys. They could sometimes disagree about how best to achieve their goals, but they both understood what it meant to choose a life of service, they both wanted to build a better future.

By now, Ben had Rey lying flat on the couch, but he pulled back and just looked at her for a moment. “Rey,” he began. He commenced kissing her across her stomach, working in a downward direction, teasing her with a row of butterfly kisses along the upper band of her underwear. Again he stopped and caught her eye. “Marry me,” he said without any further preamble. “I love you,” he kissed he inner thigh, “I will always love only you,” he ran his nose along the crotch of her underwear. “I want it to be official.”

“Are you proposing to me or my pussy?” Rey laughed pulling him up to kiss him soundly on the mouth. It was a fairytale ending to an historic day.

“Yes,” she replied.


End file.
